1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and program for processing information, and more particularly, to a method, apparatus, and program for processing information such that data is stored on storage media in a form that allows the stored data to be easily managed and thus the storage media can be dealt with in a very convenient manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to store image data and/or audio data acquired by taking a picture or the like on a storage medium such as a tape device. For example, in an imager device such as a camcorder (registered trademark), image data (and audio data (sound/voice data)) obtained by taking an image is subjected to signal processing such as image processing, and the resultant image data is stored on a tape device or a rewritable optical disk. In some devices that have been developed in recent years, image data and/or audio data are stored in a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory (examples are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications Nos. 2003-189147 and 2003-333521). An example of such a semiconductor memory used for the above purpose is a built-in semiconductor memory preinstalled in an imager device. Another example is a memory card composed of a semiconductor memory housed in a card-shaped plastic case which can be easily attached/removed to/from an imager device.
In general, a storage medium such as a tape device, an optical disk, or a memory card has a predetermined storage capacity and is constructed in a form that allows attachment/removal to/from a recording apparatus or a playback apparatus. The length of a time period (a maximum allowable recording time) in which image data is allowed to be stored in a storage medium depends on the type (and the storage capacity) of the medium and the signal quality (bit rate) of data to be stored. For example, a common memory card is capable of storing image data with signal quality for use in broadcasting or for business/industrial use for several minutes to several ten minutes. A disk medium such as an optical disk is capable of storing image data for several ten minutes to two hours. A tape medium such as a tape device is capable of storing image data for two hours in the case of media for use in studio recording or several ten minutes in the case of media for use with a portable recording apparatus.
As described above, each storage medium has a limit on the storage capacity (the maximum allowable storage time). Therefore, when a user records image data on a storage medium using a camcorder, the user exchange the storage medium mounted on the camcorder with a new storage medium (having a free storage space) each time the storage medium becomes full and has no free space to further store image data.
That is, to store long image data that cannot be stored on a single storage medium, the image data is stored on a plurality of storage media. For example, a concert, a drama, a sport event, or the like is generally performed for two to three hours (for longer hours such as four hours in some cases). To store image data of such a long event (performance), a single storage medium is insufficient.
Not only when such long image data is stored, but when image data is stored on a storage medium that has a small remaining free capacity after some other image data has been stored, it is also required to exchange the storage medium with a new storage medium.
However, when a plurality of media are used, a user has difficulty in identifying which image data is stored on which medium. Thus, in general, the user manually describes a title, a serial number, or the like on a label attached to each medium to make it possible to identify which image data is stored on which medium. For example, “1” is described on a label attached to a first medium (on which first image data is stored), “2” is described on a label attached to a second medium (on which second image data is stored), “3” is described on a label attached to a third medium (on which third image data is stored), and so on so that the user can identify the order of media (the order in which image data was stored on media).